The University of Kentucky softball team earned the highest team grade-point average of all UK?s 22 varsity sports last semester. The softball Cats ended the 2005 fall grading period with a team GPA of 3.33.

Thirteen members of the team earned a 3.0 GPA or higher, while eight players posted averages of 3.5 or above. Four Wildcats turned in a perfect 4.0 GPA.

?I am so proud of this team. It is so hard to balance all the responsibilities of being a Division I student-athlete,? said second-year head coach Eileen Schmidt. ?To be tops in the athletic department two of the last three semesters, as well as top three in-season in the spring last year, is just tremendous. It is a testament to how hard they have worked to make academics a top priority. Amy Craiglow and the staff at CATS do such a great job and definitely deserve a lot of the credit, along with our team.?

The Wildcats open the 2006 season Feb. 10-12 when they travel to Las Vegas, Nev., for the Alexis Resort Kickoff Tournament. UK will face Washington, Feb. 10, in its season opener.